Improvement in mortising and tenoning machines



` W. LEvIN. MORTISING AND TENONING. MACHI1\1'-.FS.l 194,304.

" Patented Aug. 21,1877.

n .m 6 w I UNITED i NSTATES N PATENT CFFICE,

VWILLIAM yLEVIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPRovEMEN-r IN MoRTlsINc-:yANu TENoNlNe lvlA'cHll-Es..`

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 194,304, dated August21, 1877!; applicationledj", j j

June 27,1877., l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, WiLLIAM LEvIN, of New Yorkcity, State of'New York,have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Mortisin'g andTenoning'Machines, of which the following is a specification The'special object of this 'invention Vis to provide an: organized machineto rapidly and perfectly form the joints at the corners ofstretcher-frames---that is, those frames used for the canvasses ofoil-paintings; and.

in order that the invention be properly understood, the nature of thevwork to bev accomplished, which is somewhat intricate,` will be lpresents the appearance of a mitered joint inY front and of a mortis'edjoint behind.' .It thus requires two cuts-a square and a diagonal one-toformI each mortise and tenon; a square cut, n, across the back of thetenori-piece b, to form the back of the tenen; a square cut, w, throughthe centerfoi' thepiece a, to'form the mortise 5 a diagonal cut, z, toform the mitered frontof the tenon, and a like diagonal cut, y, to miteroff` the front of themortised piece a to correspond therewith. Besidesthese main cuts there aresmall oblique ones t u, to form sockets forreception of the wedges used to expand the frame, thus making three cutson each end l of each of the four pieces ot' the frame.4

Now, heretofore, this work` has been done by hand-that is, each out is"made separately by presenting each single piece of the frame and eachend of that piece successivelyand in dierent positions to the action of`a circular saw, a process manifestly quite slow and laborious@ Now, myinvention lengthwise of the machine.

has for. l its object lto ef-'f fectthese several cuts at once Hon thefour pieces of the frame, and in addition to thev novel combination ofmechanical devices employed, a very distinguishing and important ffeature of my invention consists in the mode,

as hereinafter described, in which the 'sev` endsof the framepiece's aremade without discrimination by the V-same mechanismand4 manipulation. l

The accompanyingdrawings present in .urel a plan view of the machine,and in Fig. L

2` a side elevation thereof.

' The frame of the machine is indicated by. y A A, in thetop of whichisiixed,v the bed F,

`provided with parallel'rways B B, running of circular sawsarrangedoutside the ways and disposedinline therewith.. These sawsgwhich` v areadopted asa suitable'forin of cutter, are

mounted on vertical arbors c d e, which are` journaledin bearingsattached to the frame of' the machine andprovided withpulleys, by` which`poweris applied to, rotate the saws`.

Gr is,` the workftable,`which rests on. the ways B B, and is'free toslide back and forth thereon. 'Y

past the series of saws.' H isthe workholder, on which the work isclamped, fand,

which is pivoted to the table at i in line with thev periphery ofthe'rsaws C D, and'is thus",1 capable'of being set at various angles to the.`series oflsaws to effect both ,the Vstraight and oblique outs, beingprovided with a catch, le,

which engages withv a set of holes, l, in the V 'table' correspondingtothe correct angles'at4 whichthe`work is to be set.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the work-holderv is f provided at aboutmidway of its height with a j projecting ledge, I, `which is arranged infixed definite positions with the saws, and

pifvoted shoes, which take a Hush and rin C D E are a series bearing onthe surface of the stock, and their longer arms being connected byaright and left threaded screw-stem, g, working in nuts secured to thelevers and operated by a handwheel, h.

As represented more clearly in Fig. 2, the

four pieces a a b b, to compose one frame, (being cut to the rightlength from stock previously prepared of the correct transverse shape,)are clamped to the work-holder at once, two above and two below theledge, like pieces being placed together, and preferably the longer sidepieces a a, in which the mortises are cut, being placed below the ledge,and the shorter end pieces b b, on which the tenons are cut, beingplaced above the ledge, the ends of the pieces projecting sufficientlywithin the-range of the saws to effect a proper cut, which is determinedby an adjustable gage, L, on the Iixed frame of the machine, butopposite the ledge when the work-table is at its startingpoint, as shownin Fig. 1. Now, the several saws correspond to the several cuts to bemade on all the four pieces, as indicated by the cor-` respondingletters in Figs. 2 and A, each saw forming a distinct cut, and being ofthe right thickness to form the complete cut at one sweep, and, as willbe understood, they are, of course, so arranged on their arborsrelatively to the work on the ledge as to effect the required cutsuniformly in the proper places,

the relative arrangement of the'pieces of the frame, and of the cuttersto correspond there with, however, being peculiar, as will be fullydescribed farthery on.

The first series of saws, C, make all thesquare or cross cuts on thefour` pieces; the second set, D, which are thin, make the four cuts forwedge-sockets; and the third set, E, make the ruiter-cuts. Thisparticular order of saws is, however. mostly arbitrary, but it is heredescribed, as it is the one thought f1t to adopt. The arbors of thefirst and second series of saws C and D are set in ixed bearings, andare in line with each other, but the third set of saws, E, which madethe miter-cuts, have an adjustment at right angles to the line of motionof the work-table to suit work of various widths-that is for wide ornarrow frame strips-and, in order to effect the mitergcut properly,these saws project beyond the line of the others adistance equal tohaltl the length of the miter-line, as shown in Fig. l. The arbor e, onwhich these saws are mounted, is therefore journaled in atransversely-sliding frame, K, which extends across one end of themachine, and moves in slides (not seen) attached to the fixed frame A,and is regulated by the adjusting-screw and hand-wheel m. It will benoticed, on reference to Fig. 2, that besides the series of saws w w 'uin the group G, which make the square cuts for the joints proper, thereis an' additional s aw, w, of much smaller diameter, having a Vshapedperiphery, which extends within range of the stock only to the depth ofthe V, and is just on a level with the meeting-surfaces of themortise-pieces a a, so as to divide the V-cut equally between thepieces, and thus have the effect of' chamfering off the back edges onthe ends of these two pieces. This chamferingis to correspond with theslight bevel r, Fig. 2, on the back edge of the stock, such bevel beingprovided so that the finished frame will have a uniform bevel extendingaround its back edge, this being usual on stretchers. This chamfering isrequired only on the mortise-pieces, and hence but one of these saws isneeded, which is arranged between the two mortise-saws w w.

In making the square cuts, the work-holder is placed at a right angle,and the table moved by the operator past the iirst set of saws, G, thusmaking all the square cuts w wo at once, including the chamfering cut Itis next set at an angle of about twelve degrees, and moved past thesecond set of saws D, which make the cuts t a, for wedge-sockets in thefour pieces, and it is finally set at an angle offorty-ve degrees, andfed past the last saws, E, which make the ruiter-cuts z y on the fourpieces. i These different positions are shown by full and dotted linesin Fig. 1. Thus all the cuts on one end of the four pieces are made atone traverse of the machine. To cut the other ends, and complete theframe, the table is slid back to the starting point, the stock unclampedand simply reversed end for end, and the previous action repeated. Now,it will, of course, be understood that the `join ts on the opposite endsof the frame-pieces are right and left handed with relation to eachother; but,.notwithstanding this, they are cut, as has been described,by identically the same mechanism, and the same manipulation. This is animportant feature, and results from the peculiar manner in which theseveral pieces of the frame are arranged relatively to each other uponthe work-table in connection with the peculiar arrangement of the groupof cutters to correspond therewith, and to which special attention isdesired. A

It will be noted thatthe stockfor the frames, as indicated by a a b b inFig. 2, is uniformly beveled on'one side, and that' the other side isdat, excepting the slight bevel r on the mere edge. The flat sidecorresponds to the back of the frame and the beveled side to the front,being so made in order to have thefront of the frame a little flaring.Now, it will be seen that the frame-strips are placed together back toback, their flat back sides in contact with each other and their beveledfront sides in contact with the supporting-ledge, which is also beveledto counteract the bevel of the stock so as to always present the flatmeeting-surfaces square with the saws and the rest of the machine. Now,it is from these meeting back surfaces that the positions of the sawsare gaged and the work or action of the machine regulated as from afixed point, any variance in thickness of stock-such as for a light orheavy frame-being therefore thrown to the front or beveled sides, and isprovided for by increasing or decreasing the I several cuts to be madein the said pieces, the

thickness of the ledge so as to always maintain themeeting surfaces ofthe iiat backs in the same definite position relatively to the saws, &c.This adjustment is made by employing a thicker or thinner ledge, thesame being made removable for that object, or by 4 placing on orremoving from the ledge a thickness of packing.

Now, the result of this arrangement of the several pieces of the frame,and the definite disposition of the cutters to correspond thereto, is,first, that thus placing the two distinct pieces ofthe frame back toback causes like parts of the several joints to come in similarpositions, relatively, to the saws, 8vo., for both the right and leftends ot' the framepieces, so that right and le't handed work is done bythe same mechanism and the same l cult.

I thus accomplish at once, or nearly so, all this intricate series ot'cuts to form the complete frame by a mechanism not complicated and by amanipulation quite simple, thus saving, it is estimated, nine-tenths ofthe labor and time that have been required to do the same workheretofore.

rIhe features which l claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, are as follows- 1. In a machineforjointing stretcher-frames, aseries of cutters adapted to act simultaneously on two or more of t-heseveral distinct pieces of the frame, and corresponding to the saidcutters being arranged to correspond with the herein-describedarrangement ofthe pieces of the frame in a group back to back, andhaving their position and action gaged and regulated from the meetingback surfaces of the said group of pieces, by which means right and lefthanded work is performed without discrimination, and rapidity ofexecution and compactness and simplicity of mechanism are secured,substantially as herein set-forth.

2. The mode, herein described, of rapidly forming the severalcorner-joints of stretcherframes, viz., by arranging theY several piecesof the frame in a group with their :liat back surfaces in contact witheach other, and submitting such group to the action of a series ofcutters adapted to act simultaneously on the several pieces of thegroup, the said cutters corresponding to the several cuts to be made inthe said group of pieces, and arranged to correspond with the aforesaidgrouped arrangement of the frame-pieces, substantially as and for theobjects herein set forth.

f 3. In combination with the series of cutters G D E adapted to make adistinct series of cuts, and with the sliding work-table G, movable pastsaid cutters, the swinging workholder H, pivoted to said table andcapable of being set at various angles at positions between saidcutters, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the cutters G D E and sliding work-table Gr, thework-holder H, provided with a central supporting and sep'arating ledge,I, arranged in xed definite po- -siton with the cutters, and adapted toreceive the several distinct pieces of the frame on each side thereofwith their variable and beveled sides in contact therewith,substantially as shown and described.

' WILLIAM LEVIN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. M. HIGGINS, T. H. PHILLIPs.

